Jagged Edges
by Armitage Blade
Summary: Piece one of The Puzzle universe.  When one of the Original Six dies, Billy is almost inconsolable.  His friends, alarmed by the depth of his grief, are afraid for him.  Can anyone set him on the path to acceptance, grief's final stage? COMPLETE!
1. So Hard to Let Go

Jagged Edges

By: Armitage Blade

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Power Rangers. Besides, who would hold it against a character for the actions of his actor? *Sigh* I am so glad that I have learned of tolerance.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: _**Jagged Edges**_ is one of two prequels to _**A Piece of the Puzzle**_, a Power Rangers/Harry Potter Crossover. _**Jagged Edges**_ covers the Power Rangers side of the prequels. I hope I am able to do justice to this half of the prequel. If you're truly interested in finding out what happens on the Harry Potter side, look for _**Missing Pieces**_, coming soon.

So Hard to Let Go

It was ironic that on such a dreary occasion, the day would be so gorgeous. The sun was shining, its beams caressing the dark, lush grass that created the manicured lawns. The light breeze was rustling through the leaves of the dogwood trees, situated in a grove nearby. The only real 'disfigurement' was the group of mourners on the manicured lawns, surrounding a casket and a hole in the earth.

There were five people-four young men and a young woman-standing in a tight grouping. All five of them were wearing darker colored clothes, but what made them remarkable was the fact that each had a signature color accenting their clothes. The young woman had a light pink shirt on under the suit jacket she was wearing. The man who was holding an arm around her shoulders had a green and white tie. The other three men weren't too far away, and they were each distinguished by the color of their ties: a dark charcoal gray, a deep red, and a midnight blue. All five were holding yellow roses, the final pops of color to their group.

Each of the five was wearing sunglasses to protect not only against the sun, but also to hide the bloodshot eyes they had since they had heard the news of their friend's death. It didn't hide the crystalline tears that tracked down their faces, the only outward grief they were able to show. Their backgrounds had forced them to adopt a stoic mask in the face of danger, grief, and pain. It was the only way they felt they could stay strong together until it was time for them to go and fall apart.

The pastor's voice finally penetrated through the silence. "Brothers and sisters, we have gathered here to commend our sister Trini to the caring hands of the Lord, so that he may continue to take care of her soul as she moves on to heaven. Trini, who was so cruelly taken from us, was a light in this life, someone who was known for standing up for what she believed was right.."

The graveside ceremony dragged on for what seemed like ages, but in reality was only fifteen minutes, before the mourners were able to line up to leave flowers atop the casket before the casket was finally laid to rest. Many people lined up for this final honor, and the five waited until after the line had mostly wound down before joining it.

It did not take long for the woman to get to the front of the line, and as she laid her rose down upon the bed of others, she whispered, "I'll miss you so much Trini. Keep an eye out for us, especially Billy. Lord knows he'll need it to heal and move on."

The man with the green and white tie was right behind the woman. He laid his rose down, whispering, "I hope Zordon is taking good care of you already, Trini. Rest well, and may the power protect you."

The man in the charcoal gray tie went next, laying his rose down and whispering, "Go with grace, Trini. We will miss you all, especially Jason and Billy. They'll miss you the most."

The man in the dark red tie followed. Laying his rose down, he also whispered, "Trini, you were the other little sister I never had. I know that the others have probably asked this of you, but please keep watch over Billy, would you? He fell hard for you, and I'm afraid of what could happen next."

The final man, with the midnight blue tie, laid his rose down to join the others. He whispered, "I'm sorry that I never had the guts to say what I needed to until it was too late. I love you so much, Trini, and my biggest regret is not that you will not be able to hear me say it, but that you will never be able to say it to me."

As he walked away to join the other four, the mourners swore they heard the cries of several different animals, but the most remarkable was the heart-breaking howl of a mourning wolf.

The five did not stay for very long, only long enough to talk to Trini's family and give their sympathies. Each one could feel not only his or her own mask beginning to break, but the others' masks beginning to break as well. Their grief needed a more private venue to be unleashed.

On an unspoken agreement, they all started to head to the man in red's home, where the grief could be unleashed in a safer environment. At least, safer for the five of them. When they arrived, they changed out of the dark clothes and into clothes of their signature colors. They headed outside, where a bonfire pit was located.

The men built a bonfire, and they sat around, telling stories of their fallen friend. For, unknown to most everyone at the actual funeral ceremony, there was more to Trini Kwan than they ever knew.

She was a best friend, an unrequited love, a peace-keeper. She was a translator, a martial artist, and a diplomat. She was a soldier of Fate, one who was destined to become a warrior against evils that humankind would never have imagined. She was the standard-bearer for all those who would wear the color yellow after her, be they male or female. Trini Kwan was the original Yellow Power Ranger, one of Zordon's own, and the world was now poorer for it. Not, of course, that they knew that fact.

It took a few hours, but finally the man in red pulled out a few bottles of whiskey and six plastic cups. He poured a measure of alcohol into each cup, and handed the cups out via the color-coding that only they seemed to understand. The yellow cup, with alcohol sitting in it, was left on the table. The man in red raised his cup first.

"To Trini, the best friend and other little sister I never had. We will miss you so much."

The woman joined her cup in lift, saying, "Trini, I was so glad to have you on my team, watching my back against everything we faced. Not only that, you were my best friend, the one I could rely on for anything. It will be so odd to not have you there now."

The man in black also raised his cup, saying, "Trini, my dance partner, we had so much fun growing up. I'll never be able to forget the times we had."

The man in a white shirt only now brought his cup up, saying "Trini, you did the color yellow proud."

Finally, the man in blue lifted his cup and said, "Trini, you were the one person who got me on a level that no one has until now. I'll be hard-pressed to ever find someone who gets me like you have."

They all drank, noting the toast as their own way to properly send off one of their own.

Drinking and more stories followed, until it was left to only two of the men left. The other two men and the woman had gone to bed, leaving the man in red and the man in blue to their own devices by the dying bonfire. The man in red finally looked at the man in blue; the shadows from the fire making the grief seem all-consuming.

"What now, Billy?" The man in red asked. "I know you loved her. Hell, we all did."

Billy blushed, but it wasn't quite obvious in the firelight. "It really was that obvious?"

The man in red smiled sadly. "Yeah, bro. It was. I know that every one of us-Kim, Tommy, Zack, and myself-have in some way asked Trini to keep an eye on you. I'm really afraid that this has really messed with you."

Billy stared into the fire. "Jase, you know as well as I that the only person who ever understood me at that most fundamental level was Trini. Even back when we were kids, she got it. And now, I feel like I've lost that anchor, and I have no clue where I will end up.

"It was so hard to go to Aquitar, Jason, and leave Earth. I just wanted to come home so that I could have my chance with her. I was planning on asking her out when she finally made it to see me." Billy finally had to stand and pace. The pain was beginning to roll back in on him. "I never got that chance! I've busted my ass-we all have!-and what do we get as reward? All we got were fractured lives, fractured souls. And, for me, the knowledge that I'll never have what I wanted!"

Jason stretched his hand out and caught Billy's wrist. "Bro, have you thought about it? Why we were chosen in the first place?"

"At this point, Jase, I really don't give a damn."

Jason's eyebrows rose. Billy rarely cussed, and to hear him drop that was akin to him screaming "FUCK" at the top of his lungs.

"Billy, we were chosen because Zordon knew that we could handle it. Granted, we're having a hard time with some of the unintended side effects of being the first generation of power holders, but look at it this way: she will always be looking out for you."

Billy looked at him. "I didn't want it like this!"

Jason looked at Billy. "Bill, I know. Like I said, it was pretty obvious that you love her. I'm not saying loved, because it hurts too much to think otherwise."

Billy started pacing again. He couldn't sit down anymore. "I just can't believe that this is fair. We were Zordon's first. Why take her?"

Jason sat back and watched Billy pace. It was obvious after a few minutes that while Billy was absolutely distraught, part of him was more reserved and stoic about this blow to his life. When Billy passed in front of his chair yet again, Jason grabbed his wrist.

"Bill, what does Amadeus say about this?" Jason looked Billy in the eye as he asked this question.

"What?" Billy asked, the distraught energy draining away as what Jason asked registered.

"You heard me. I have a reason for you to stand back and think about this from a different perspective." Jason said. He watched as Billy fell back into his chair and fell into a meditative trance. It took several minutes for Billy to come out of it. However, when Billy spoke, Jason wasn't immediately sure if he was relieved or nervous.

"We're not sure, Jase." Billy said, the concern and puzzlement warring on his face. "The potential was there, and it is possible that after a time, we could have grown to love each other to the point of it being a soul mate bond. However, he is adamant that my true soul mate is still out there. I'm not so sure."

Jason had no idea on how to answer his friend. Kim, Tommy, and Billy all had an inner animal to be their "devil's advocate", so to speak. Trini, Zack, and he had all had to rely on themselves for the same information. For a Ranger and his inner animal to be in disagreement over anything, let alone the idea of whether or not someone was the Ranger's mate, was highly unusual. They had learned this over the years, and all six Rangers knew to ask the inner animals if something was amiss.

"Bill, let's think about this." Jason said, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Amadeus and you can't agree as to whether or not Trini was the one for you. Amadeus would be the foremost expert on your mate, right?"

Billy simply shrugged. Jason caught this and glared at him.

"You know that I'm right on this. He's got a more primal nature than you do. So, take his advice and go look for your true mate. You never know where your true mate is at. For all you know, you could bump into her in the hallway in college."

Billy laughed. "Yeah, right. I know I'm a geek, Jason. I may look like I'm some sort of model, but I'm a total geek. For a girl to "get me", she'd have to deal with the fact that I've got more brains than anyone she knows. I just don't see it happening."

Jason smiled. "You just never know."

The two friends continued to talk about other things, including Billy filling Jason in on the last Ranger team he was consultant on.

"You're serious? They took off for space?" Jason said, incredulous.

"Well, all except the Blue Ranger. He was only twelve at the time. He was smart enough to realize it probably wasn't a good idea to take off like that."

"Why is it you Blue Rangers always seem to be the logical ones of the group?"

"Then what was Rocky?" Billy shot back, knowing that Rocky was also a Blue Ranger at one time.

"Got me there." Jason replied. "I felt bad for Adam, having to be the logical one in the face of that."

They had fallen silent at that point, just thinking back to the Originals, and how lucky they had been to be such great friends. They had heard about the current team, who had been banded together by mission details, and not just chosen for their ability to handle the powers. That seemed unnatural to them, to have your teammates picked for you, with no knowledge of who they are.

After a while, Jason brought up the topic. "I never got an answer to my first question Billy. What now?"

Billy stared off into the fire. He wasn't quite sure how to answer the question. "I take it one day at a time. Eventually, I'll be able to see a new future for myself. Right now, it hurts too much to look to the future beyond a couple of months.

"I definitely want to head off to college, and with Trini's death, I'm going to look into places a bit further away from Angel Grove. I was considering just staying here and going to one of the local colleges, but after this, I can't stay here. I'm afraid it will be too much."

"Do what you need to. Just make sure you reach out to us and let us know how you are doing. You've got your biological family, sure, but you also have us-Kim, Tommy, Zack, and me. We all care too. We don't want you to fall into a pit of despair that we can't get you out of."

Billy gave a soft smile. "Thanks. You have no idea how much it means to me to have that support."

"That's what we do. No one else understands the Power like we do, only because we have the most intimate link to it. We have the links to the Morphing Grid that the others can only dream of." Jason said. "It's something we need to look into further, but I believe that we've had enough of the powers in our systems that we could probably access our original powers, and you three could access your ninjetti powers."

"Interesting hypothesis, Jason. Not one I want to really look into at this point, but perhaps a couple years down the road, we could look into it."

"It's alright Billy. Just wanted you to know what I had come up with. Maybe in a year or so, we will revisit it."

"I can live with that."

They fell into more general conversation after that. Jason could see that, by forcing Billy to face his feelings and Amadeus, the pain was beginning to leech out of one of his oldest friends. As they continued to relax, Jason had the feeling that everything would turn out okay.

Finally, Jason noticed that Billy was beginning to fall asleep, and decided to move them both into the beds waiting for them in the house. He stood up, feeling the kinks in his back. Stretching them out, he walked over to Billy and shook his shoulder.

"Billy, wake up bro. Time to head in so that we can get some sleep in real beds." Jason said.

"Alright." Billy said in a half-yawn. He got out of the chair and headed up to "his" room for the rest of the night.

Jason stayed behind for a little while longer, making sure the fire was out. When it was, noticing the starry skies, looked up and said, "Trini, I hope you're here, listening to us, because Billy really needs your guidance, and healing. I think that eventually, he will move on from your death. I think he needs a real kick in the ass from you to start the ball rolling, though. Please, Trini, as your older brother, I ask this: don't wait too long to deliver that kick in the ass."

With a sigh, Jason stirred the ashes one more time, making sure the fire was truly out. He needed the sleep as well, as he could feel the past few days weighing on him. As he walked in the house and locked the doors, he never noticed a new star popping into life in the star-filled darkness of the sky.


	2. Rise From the Ashes

Jagged Edges

By: Armitage Blade

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Power Rangers. Besides, who would hold it against a character for the actions of his actor? *Sigh* I am so glad that I have learned of tolerance.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: _**Jagged Edges**_ is one of two prequels to _**A Piece of the Puzzle**_, a Power Rangers/Harry Potter Crossover. _**Jagged Edges**_ covers the Power Rangers side of the prequels. I hope I am able to do justice to this half of the prequel. If you're truly interested in finding out what happens on the Harry Potter side, look for _**Missing Pieces**_, coming soon.

Rise from the Ashes

Several weeks had passed since Trini's funeral, and the quintet was finally getting their lives back on track. This included Billy, the Ranger hit hardest by Trini's death. He had applied to several colleges before Trini's death, and just after the funeral, he had received an offer from one of the colleges that had piqued his interest. It was a full-ride scholarship, room and board included. It didn't matter that he was a non-traditional student to them. What had mattered to them is that they had paid attention to his career as an inventor, and, to Billy's chagrin, as a Ranger.

After a few days of mulling over the offer, he finally approached his father.

"Dad, got time to talk?" Billy asked one night over dinner.

"Sure, Bill. What's going on?" His dad asked.

"Remember when I applied to all those colleges a few weeks ago?" Billy asked. Seeing his father nod, he continued. "Well, just after Trini's funeral, I got a full-ride offer."

"That's great! Where did the offer come from?"

"Northern California State University. They don't care that I'm a non-traditional student. They are more interested in how I'll do in their programs, especially since they know I'm interested in robotics and engineering. And, they figured out I was a Ranger." Billy said, chagrin apparent in his voice.

"Why are you embarrassed that they figured it out?" Billy's dad asked. "It's just like honoring a war veteran. Instead of protecting us from other countries, you protected us against aliens, and at a very young age. I'm proud of you, son, and while you know I don't tell anyone about your Ranger career, I let people know you are my pride and joy."

"Still, it just seems odd to me."

"I know, Zordon's rules are still big with you guys. Anyway, let's get back to the university itself. Isn't that in Mariner Bay?"

"Close, just outside of it. It's in Middleside, which is just south of Mariner Bay."

"Heard that there's a government project going on in Mariner Bay, Bill. I thought I heard that it might involve new Ranger powers."

"Really?" Billy asked. "It sounds interesting, Dad, but as I told Jason, I am not in the right place mentally to be able to be of any assistance."

"Okay. I thought you would like to know.

"Thanks Dad." Billy said. The two finished eating in silence, mulling over the conversation. As they finished, Billy looked up. "I'm going to take the full ride."

"Middleside is a good three hours away, you know. Your grandparents and extended family won't like your decision, especially right now." His dad mused.

"That's why I need to do it. I can't stay here. Trini's presence in Angel Grove is too much. I need to get out of town until I can heal."

Those last comments had Billy's dad looking at his son. "Amadeus is telling you something, isn't he?"

"Seriously, how did you and Jason figure it out?" Billy asked, chagrined. With a heavy sigh, Billy continued. "Amadeus and I disagree on whether or not Trini was my soul mate. Her death tore me apart inside, but Amadeus is adamant that Trini isn't truly the one."

"I think Amadeus is onto something, Bill." His father said after a few moments. "First loves are something you never truly get over. I got lucky to marry my first love. You won't be so lucky, Bill, but you have the chance to find your soul mate. You also have Amadeus to guide you in that right. He'll be able to sniff out your soul mate, and you never know, you could bump into her in the hallway at college."

"So, you're okay with me going?"

"How can I not be? I ran after your mom passed away, Bill. Remember when you had to live with Grandpa and Grandma Cranston for about six months?" At Billy's nod, his father continued. "I had to heal myself before I could be a single father. So, I definitely understand how you're feeling."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Just remember, your cousin Tracey is also going to Northern California State University this fall."

At Billy's groan, his dad just smiled. "You won't be able to outrun your family, Bill. They care too much about you. While they truly have no idea about what's going on, you may also want to open up to your cousin. She may be able to help you with what's going on. If nothing less, she can keep an eye out for you and help keep you from falling apart too much."

"Alright. I'll call and see if she wants to come over tomorrow so that I can explain what she'll need to look for."

"Good. You're going to take that offer, right?" His dad asked, in more of an order than a question.

"I'll call them tomorrow and accept their offer." Billy said. "I'd be too crazy not to."

"Good."

With their conversation over, Billy brought his dishes to the kitchen. He didn't want to expose his secret to anyone, let alone his younger cousin Tracey. He, however, knew his dad was right. His family _was_ concerned about him, especially with Trini's death. With a sigh, he went to the phone. Dialing the number from memory, he wasn't quite aware of it until he heard Tracey's voice over the phone.

"Meyland residence, this is Tracey."

"Hi, it's Billy."

"Hi Billy. What's up?"

"I need you to come over tomorrow. Dad wants you aware of what might happen to me."

He heard silence on the phone for several seconds, until Tracey asked, "Is this because of Trini?"

Without hesitation, Billy answered. "Yes."

"I'll be there. Eleven tomorrow morning?"

"That works. And Tracey?"

"What?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Billy heard the faint click of the phone, signaling that Tracey had hung up. He also hung up his phone, well aware that despite his belief in Zordon's rule of "tell no one", it was about to be blown to kingdom come. In this case, it was for the best that the rule was broken. Billy walked through the house and up to his room, his mind on what he would have to share with his cousin tomorrow.

He did not like the idea of sharing his life as a Ranger with anyone, especially the potential ramifications of what Trini's death could trigger within him. He sighed, lying back on his bed. "Zordon, forgive me for breaking your rules." He said aloud, closing his eyes.

He must have been more tired than he expected, because he had immediately fallen asleep. He fell into a dream world, and he wasn't exactly prepared for what he would see.

_Billy opened his eyes, and he saw Trini standing before him. She gave him one of her smiles, one that she normally reserved for him. He felt his jaw fall open. _THIS_ is not what he was expecting. _

"_Hello Billy." She said._

"_Trini? But, you're…" He stammered out. _

"_Yes, Billy, I am dead. I've heard Tommy, Kim, Zack, and Jason beg me to watch over you, and maybe even give you a kick in the butt to start you in the right direction." Trini looked to him. "I see you are headed in the right direction by going off to college. But, I can tell you and Amadeus are at odds about me."_

"_That is too true. He says you are not my true soul mate, but I am not so sure." Billy said, the feeling of sadness overcoming him yet again._

"_Falling into a depression over me, Billy, will not help you." Trini said, in a mock scolding tone. "I came to you in a dream to tell you that it is perfectly ok to listen to Amadeus and go look for her." Trini glided over to Billy, who had fallen to his knees, and joined him on his level. _

"_I want you to listen to me Billy. It is completely possible that had I lived, we would have dated and possibly gotten married. It's completely possible that we would have dated and decided that we weren't meant to be." She stopped, seeing the horror on his face. She brought her hand up and slapped him upside the head. _

"_Hey! What was that for?" He asked, glaring at her. She merely chuckled._

"_Anger, good, we're starting to get out of depression now." She observed. "As I was saying, we will never know what happened. I want you to live, William Robert Cranston, and not just exist because of me, or worse. _

"_We've lived through so much, Billy. We've survived facing off against Rita, Zedd, Master Vile, and all of their minions. It may have been my time to go, but it's not yours. Call me selfish, but I do not want to see you stuck on the Morphing Grid for quite a long time. Long enough that I expect you to be able to see your grandchildren before you finally come to us."_

_Confusion set into Billy's face. "Us?"_

"_Who do you think, silly? I mean Zordon, too. He had told me that you are not expected for many, many years." Trini said. She suddenly stopped talking and cocked her head to one side, as if she was listening to someone. After a few minutes, she looked at him. _

"_Billy, I know that I'm trying to help you. It is also pretty obvious that I am failing at convincing you that everything will be okay. I believe there's only one being that you will listen to, and he's asked to speak to you, alone. I'll be back after he leaves." Trini said, standing up and fading out. _

_Billy stood up, unconsciously taking a fighter's stance. He wanted to be ready for anything. What he heard next, however, completely disarmed him._

"_Stand down, Billy." The voice said behind him. It lacked the booming quality, but it was still unforgettable. Billy spun around, and immediately dropped his jaw in shock. _

"_Zordon?" Billy asked, in a low tone of voice, not completely trusting his eyes._

_The being was standing just taller than Billy, but it was the facial features that had convinced Billy that it was Zordon-or at least his ghost-standing in front of him. _

"_Yes, Billy, it is I." Zordon said, smiling. "I've watched over you for several years, and I have become quite alarmed at what I have seen lately." _

"_What has alarmed you?" Billy finally asked, not wanting to disappoint his mentor._

"_It does not alarm me that you are going to be telling your cousin about your time as a Ranger. In this case, I believe it is completely and utterly unavoidable." Zordon said. "What worries me is that you are about ready to give up on life without Trini."_

"_Wouldn't you if you realized that the person you loved without question was dead?" Billy shot back, feeling defensive._

"_I did, Billy. A long time ago, I lost my mate to Rita Repulsa's machinations. It is the true reason she and I went to war. I've long made my peace with what happened, but I want to make sure you are not headed down that path._

"_Billy, believe me, I put the restrictions on your powers in place when you were a teen, and it was designed for your safety. Sure, your cover has had to be blown a few times, but now that you are retired, so to speak, you can talk about it to those close to you. Tracey, your cousin, would probably be delighted to know that her theory about you in your teens was on the mark."_

"_What theory?"_

"_I'll let her tell you tomorrow." Zordon said, a laugh to his voice. "You have given up so much, Billy. Of all my rangers, you were the one that did the most to make sure we would win. You even stayed on with us after your retirement, just to make sure that we would continue to win, and that the next generation's powers were ready for Alpha to put into place. _

"_You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Amadeus, your inner wolf, would not have chosen you if he did not see that inner strength and fire you possess in vast quantities. Your intelligence is your most outward strength, but do not discount your inner strengths. _

"_Trini speaks the truth, Billy. Let go of this hurt and live, not for her sake, but for your own. I've seen bits and pieces of your future, and I know for a fact that you have quite the future laid out ahead of you to discover. I've also seen your soul mate, Billy."_

_At this, Billy's curiousity picked up. Zordon chuckled, seeing the familiar behavior of his Blue Ranger. _

"_She will be quite jaded when you first meet her. She is much like you, intelligent, strong, and has been forced to be changed by the crucible of difficulty. Her road has led her to being who she is, and will face challenges that you will never see. You need to heal, Billy, before you can help her heal and accept who she is, and who you are." Zordon said softly. "Take this time, heal from this hurt. Amadeus will let you know when you have found her."_

_Billy had a ghost of a smile on his face. She's like him? Another thought raced through his mind and he had to know. His smile dropped before the question became verbal. "She's not a Ranger, is she?" He asked. _

_Zordon couldn't help himself, he started laughing. "No, Billy. I will vouch for her. She is not a Ranger."_

"_I can live with that." Billy said. _

_Zordon fell silent for a short moment, then asked, "Trini was asking if you were alright, and if you needed to see her before you woke up."_

"_Please?" Billy said._

"_I'll leave you two in peace." Zordon said, fading out. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Spinning around, he saw Trini. _

"_He told you about her, huh?" Trini asked._

"_He did." Billy replied, nodding once. _

"_He's right, Billy. She's going to see things that will push even your limits of belief." Trini said. _

"_I think we're going to have to take it as it comes." Billy said. "I don't even know what she looks like."_

_Trini smiled. "One step at a time, huh?"_

"_I have to." Billy said. He suddenly looked at her. "I do want to do one thing, with your permission."_

"_Yes?"_

"_May I kiss you, just once?" He asked. "To say goodbye?"_

_Trini smiled. "You can, Billy."_

_Billy stepped up to Trini, and brought his lips to hers. Even though it was a wonderful kiss, he couldn't help but think that something was missing. He broke the kiss, bringing his hand up to cup one side of her face. Looking into her eyes, Billy finally made peace with the truth. Smiling sadly, he said, "This is goodbye, then."_

_Trini returned the sad smile. "I guess it is. Good luck, Billy. I'll be watching over you."_

"_Thank you for that." He said._

_Slowly, his world started turning black, signifying that he was coming back to wakefulness. _

Billy opened his eyes, realizing that he simply lay back on the bed and fell asleep last night. He lay there for a few minutes, trying to recall everything from his dream. The only thing he could recall was the feeling that Trini and Zordon both wanted him to go live his life. He also thought he got the impression that Zordon was okay with him telling Tracey what was going on.

He got up and decided to get ready for the day before Tracey arrived. Looking at his clock, he saw that it was only nine in the morning. He hit the ground running, knowing that he had to call Northern California State University today. Before he registered what he was doing, he was talking to the admissions counselor on his offer letter, accepting the full-ride scholarship.

He was excited when he hung up the phone. He could tell a new chapter of his life was beginning to unfold for him. He decided to kill time by going out and tinkering with some new robotics ideas he had. He got so absorbed that he hadn't noticed that Tracey was standing in the doorway, tapping her foot.

"Geez Billy, I thought you had to talk to me?" She said loudly, startling him.

He whirled around, and saw Tracey. She was five foot nine inches tall, and bore a striking resemblance to him. The only difference was her auburn hair and vibrant green eyes. With a sheepish grin on his face, he said, "I lost track of time, didn't I?"

"Oh, yeah." Tracey said. "Let's go in and get you cleaned up so that we can talk. I want the truth."

Billy pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that this was going to be trying.

They walked in, and Billy quickly washed up. He sat down across from Tracey.

"So, do you know why I called you here?" Billy asked.

"Not really, but I have a feeling that it involves why you wear a lot of blue." Tracey shot back.

"You aren't that far off." Billy said. "What do you remember of the first Power Rangers in Angel Grove?"

"You mean the five that first started, then the sixth who couldn't decide if he liked Green or White?" Tracey asked. At his nod, she continued. "Well, they didn't really do that great of a job of hiding their identities. After a while, it became obvious that the same people were always out fighting whatever came up. They also got complacent for a while, because there was a few battles where I heard names being called out, especially by Pink and Yellow.

"Or do you mean when the Red, Yellow, and Black rangers changed from the originals to the newbies? Or, when the Pink Ranger was replaced by a newbie as well? Those changes were pretty obvious."

Billy's jaw was just about on the floor. "You really know that much?" He asked.

"Duh, Bill." Tracey said, rolling her eyes. "Angel Grove just isn't that big. We're going to figure it out eventually. You would be surprised the number of people that have guessed the identities of the Power Rangers of Angel Grove. And, I believe if I start naming names, I would get them right, wouldn't I?"

Billy had no real response to this, still shocked by the fact that most of Angel Grove had correctly guessed their identities.

"I'm right, aren't I, _Blue Ranger_?" She asked, putting the final nail in the coffin.

He realized that she really did know who the Rangers were at the time. But, just to make her squirm, he stayed silent for a few moments before he couldn't keep the impish grin off his face.

"You're right. I was the Blue Ranger." He replied. She dropped her jaw.

"I never expected you to agree after all these years, Billy. You've been dodging the question for so long that I never thought I'd get a straight answer from you."

"That's part of why I'm calling you over here. You're going to be the second person in our family to know, and know quite a bit. Dad knows a lot more than you do."

"Uncle Mark does?"

"Yes, he does. He suggested I tell you because you'll be in a position to respond if anything happens."

Now, it was Tracey's turn to be shocked. "That means…"

"Yeah, Trace. I got a full-ride to Northern California State."

She was speechless. "I'm guessing only Uncle Mark knows."

"If it makes you feel any better, I called and accepted only this morning. Dad only knew because I told him about it last night."

"Okay." Tracey said. "It's just a bit of a shock to hear that you're going to be going to the same university as me."

"Trust me, Trace. You'll understand why I need to."

This got her attention. "Okay, Bill. Tell me why."

He took a deep breath and let it out. "You're right. I'm the Original Blue Ranger, right up to when it changed over to the Zeo Rangers. We were chosen at fourteen, and we did everything we could to keep our identities a secret from everyone else. I guess wearing your signature color didn't really help in that matter." He mused, with a self-depreciating tone.

"My compatriots were Kim, Jason, Zach, Trini, and Tommy." He said, expecting a reaction. "The others you mentioned were Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Kat."

"Oh boy." Tracey said. She stood up and started pacing, unable to sit at the revelations her cousin was dropping on her. "So, piecing the evidence together, you've been a Blue Ranger from the time you were fourteen until the Zeo Rangers showed up, and coupled with the fact that you've been thrown into life–threatening situations with your friends, you developed a serious crush on Trini. Since then, you've been gone on a 'research trip' and once you came home, you wanted to see if it would work with Trini, and then everything went to hell. Am I right?"

"The research trip was actually to a different planet so I could be healed from an accelerated aging problem." Billy said, the impish grin still on his face.

She gave him an odd look. "I am totally not touching that issue right now." She sighed. "So, what's going on?"

"You accept it, just like that?"

"I've had some idea that you were the Blue Ranger six months after the rangers came into Angel Grove." Tracey replied with a shrug. "I've had several years to adjust."

"Okay, to the real reason you are here. We found out that the Original Six, having the closest link to the Morphing Grid, are subject to what we call mate shock, where we find the soul mate destined for us. Hey, if you believe I'm a teenaged Power Ranger, it's possible." He said when she began to open her mouth to make a comment.

"There are two forms of mate shock. One is when we've found our mates. We will be hyper-sensitive to them and want to be around them all the time. We will have them on the brain, and become protective. We may also begin to express anger and rage. We will begin to exhibit eye shine, in our color. It means my eyes will start to flash an intense blue."

"Seems a bit animalistic, Bill."

"Side effect of being an Original." He said, dismissing it. "The other form is for when we lose our mate. This is the set I'm afraid of."

"Why?"

"Because, Tracey, we begin to fall into a deep depression. We begin to obsess over our lost mate, and begin to become mentally unstable. Depending on the type of loss, we may either plot to find a way to get our mates back or we follow them into death."

"Suicide?" She asked, paling.

"Yes. It will seem to be the only way to join our mate." He explained.

Silence reigned for several minutes.

"Now I see why you told me." She said, walking over and giving her cousin a hug. "I really, really hope that we do not have to deal with that set of effects."

"I hope we don't either, Trace. It doesn't hurt to be prepared, however."

"I know, Bill. I know."

Silence reigned as the cousins adjusted to the news. A smirk formed on Tracey's face as she realized that she has a fountain of knowledge in front of her.

"So, Billy, since we're in the mood for clearing the air, do you mind if I ask you some questions about the Rangers?"

A groan filled the house as Billy realized his assumption of telling his cousin he was a Ranger and her not diving any further into that background had just been smashed to bits.


End file.
